APPLE® has enjoyed considerable success of its iPOD®. As is known, thousands of music files can be loaded into an iPOD® device with each song being selectable for playback by the user.
Songs for the iPOD® can be purchased from APPLE® by logging a personal computer onto a web site and downloading files into the computer. Once the files have been downloaded into the computer, they're downloaded into the iPOD®. After the files have been downloaded into the iPOD®, the iPOD® can play them back. Despite the relatively cumbersome two-step programming process, the APPLE® playback device has enjoyed so much success that other manufacturers are now selling competing products.
A problem with portable playback devices like the iPOD®, other portable MP3 players, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) is that they must be physically connected to a computer in order to acquire information. Requiring a physical connection means that the contents of a portable playback device cannot be changed unless it is attached to a computer. A portable playback device would become even more “portable” if it were possible to reprogram or download new information into the device without having to physically connect it to a computer. Thus, a need exists for an apparatus and method by which a portable playback device like an automotive MP3 System, PDA or a portable MP3 player, can be updated with new content wirelessly.
If a portable playback device could be loaded with information by a wireless transfer, the usefulness of such devices would be increased. If such devices could be reprogrammed by a wireless reprogramming device located near point of sale terminals that are used to sell other goods and services, it would be possible to purchase items like gasoline from a point of sale terminal, while also purchasing new songs, pictures, news or video files for the playback device.
As is known in the prior art, motor vehicle fuels can be purchased using a prior art, point of sale terminal by “swiping” a credit or debit card through a card reader and fueling the vehicle after the account information is verified and payment is assured. MOBIL Corporation operates gasoline stations whereat a purchaser having one of MOBIL's SPEEDPASS® devices simply waives the SPEEDPASS® device past a transducer on the gas pump. The credit card reader and the transducer in the MOBIL SPEEDPASS®-compatible gas pumps recognizes a purchaser and/or his/her account and links purchases of the products through the point of sale terminal to the individual and/or his/her accounts by which payment is made. The SPEEDPASS® and devices like it use a radio frequency identifier and are referred to herein as “RFID” devices. Such devices identify a particular consumer and at least one of his or her accounts so that the account is debited for purchases made at the point of sale terminal. Enabling the purchase of music files, video files, pictures and data files using a credit card or RFID transponder and wirelessly downloading them into a playback device would be an improvement over the prior art.